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I have uploaded the first installment of a four piece article documenting my trip to Bin el Ouidane in Morocco. Check it out by clicking the link below:
Moroccan Carping: Real Pioneers Part I
As ever, your feedback is appreciated.
Part two is written and ready, and will be released next week!
Now that our season is upon us (the first guests at Etangs Des Papillons arrive today), it’s time to pull off the lake and hang up my rods for a while…well, a few days at least.
I fished my last session on Rouge on Tuesday night and had another 4 runs. Of these, one broke my hooklength with an ease that suggested catfish, another was certainly a catfish judging by the thick slime deposited on my leadcore, and the other two produced these lovely carp…
After a blank on Thursday night, where i got snapped up by a catfish (to be expected on light mono hooklengths) and pulled out of another fish, i made amends early on Friday evening. Reasoning that the warm SW wind might have dragged the fish far up into the shallow water to my left i cast out a 2 bait stringer in that direction. The other rod was placed where i had caught my last fish and baited with 10 freebies and a couple on a stringer.
Well, after an easter break in Barcelona I was itching to get back on the bank, so despite having had only 4 hours sleep aboard the night train home to Limoges, and pouring rain outside i managed to catch a window of dry weather and race down to the lakes. Just as I got the rods in the water the heavens opened again and i was consigned to watching the water from beneath my brolly, which has decided to spring a leak!
Anyway, after dark, and a little reading I was soon passed out asleep, only to be awoken just before midnight by a drop-back on my left hand rod. This had been positioned on the same spot i had lost one from on the previous session, and baited with a 3 boillie stringer and a few catapulted freebies. A dogged fight ensued, in which the fish resisted but did not take any line, and before long a nice looking mirror carp slipped over the net cord.
After readying the camera for a couple of snaps, I lifted the net out of the deep margins to reveal a lovely dark, half-linear-esque mirror. She pulled the scales around to 16lbs 2ozs and swam off to fight another day - just imagine how beautiful this fish will look when it weighs 30lbs+!
I have to mention the stunning capture of this 83lb 8oz catfish by David ‘Pooch’ Newsham on tuesday night. Pooch was fishing with me after helping out down at the lakes during the day, and picked up this beast just around sunset.
I had a run too but unfortunately the fish came off - to be honest i was so pleased to have seen the big cat it almost didn’t matter. Almost… 
Well, it’s been a long time since i got out on the banks. After taking most of November December and January off for various reasons I finally started getting out a little in February in preparation for my trip to Morocco. The idea was to give myself some confidence, and this came in the perfect form of two small carp from our very own Papillons Rouge. Both were taken in a single session (preceded by 2 blanks) on Premier Baits’ ‘Amino’ boilies, fished on long hairs and mono hooklinks.
After a week fishing in Morocco (watch this space for an article and photos), i got straight back out on the banks and bagged this little stunner on the same method:
And finally, after three small carp i managed one that is more typical of the stamp of fish on offer in Rouge, a belter at 33lbs 12ozs:
That’s all for now, but as time permits i’ll get back into this bloggin with more gusto. I’ve also added a few new links of people who have been kind enough to stop by and eave a comment over the past couple of dormant months on the site. As ever, your feedback is a real boost, thanks!
As you might have guessed, not too much to report!
Due to uni and other commitments i only got to fish another 4 nights - but all arriving after dark and leaving at sunrise.
Managed 1 more at 21lb 14oz, and then lost another 3.
Still, better than kipping indoors!
Despite the previous night’s success, the few hours i fished this evening were a total blank - not even a beep, nor a hedgehog.
There are still fish showing, and i think perhaps it’s time for a wee change…
A fantastically clear afternoon, led to an equally clear and beautiful night. In between, exactly in between as it happened, this 28lb 10oz carp took off with my Shellfish boillie and fought hard all the way in to the net. Although that was my only Carp of the session (alongside a couple of Bream), it was a wonderful young specimen, and i was absolutely delight to catch it.
With a long day at university looming, i only fished a few hours into darkness tonight. As it turned out, my only action was a series of bleeps on my left hand rod. Being the coiled spring, ever-ready-for-action sort that i am, i quickly struck the rod, only to find a rather sheepish looking hedgehog balled up beneath my buzzer.
Obviously wandering into my line had given him as much of a shock as it had me!
